Fresh Start
by Maryilee
Summary: After working together to save a baby, Johnny and Chet's new found respect for each other is threatened by ignorance and prejudice.


"What've we got, Vince?" Johnny Gage asked as he spun towards the compartment door on the side of the squad.

"Hey, Johnny. The Chevy plowed into the side of the Gremlin. The Gremlin ran the red light, apparently," Officer Howard replied. Seeing some bystanders getting too close, the patrolman headed towards the people to perform crowd control.

The scent of gasoline already permeated the air and John looked at Roy DeSoto as he rounded the rear of the squad to help get the equipment out. "Smell that, Roy?"

"Yeah. Cap's already got Chet and Marco getting the hose ready to spray down." Roy grabbed the biophone and shut the compartment doors.

"Good deal. I'll take the Gremlin if you want to check the other car." Johnny jogged toward the Gremlin, noting the crushed driver's side door and the crumpled front panel. Sure hope they were wearing their seatbelts, he thought as he approached the vehicle. He squatted down to peer inside. "Hey, mister, can you hear me?"

The driver of the vehicle was fumbling one-handed for the catch on his seat belt. A thin trickle of blood drizzled down the side of his face. "You gotta help my wife! She's gonna have a baby!" The man frantically tried to undo the belt, but wasn't' having much success.

Johnny looked past the man to see a very pregnant woman, a sheen of perspiration covered her face as she sat with her head back, teeth clenched.

Johnny sprinted to the other side of the car and struggled to open the door. "Ma'am? Can you hear me?" A nod was the only reply. With a loud creak, the door swung open. The paramedic knelt down to assess the woman's condition. "Are you hurt anywhere?"

The woman grunted. "I don't know. I don't think so, but the baby is coming." With a great sigh, the woman relaxed against the back of the seat, her breath coming in loud pants.

Eyes widening, Johnny felt the woman's pulse; it was rapid, but strong. "Well, you just relax and I'll get you out of here just as soon as I can. My name's Johnny. What's yours?"

"Pam." Her hands clenched in fists and Johnny could see her abdomen ripple as another contraction began.

John ran his hands down Pam's legs checking for any fractures, thankful that everything seemed fine. "Okay, Pam, here's what we're gonna do. I'm gonna get a c-collar on you, just as a precaution, take a few more vitals and get on the horn to the hospital. Hopefully, we can get you right on over there. Sound good?"

The Chevy, being a heavier car, seemed to have weathered the accident in better shape than the Gremlin. Roy hurried to the driver's side, noting the calm face of the woman behind the wheel. "Are you all right, Ma'am?" he asked as he approached.

The woman looked over. "Yeah, I just can't get my door opened. It must be bent a little."

Roy pulled on the handle, and when the first try didn't yield results, he braced one foot on the back door and pulled with all his might. The door suddenly popped open, sending Roy flying backward to land on his backside.

Unsuccessfully suppressing a laugh, the woman turned to Roy. "Thank you. Um…are you all right?"

Sheepishly, Roy stood up, brushing the back of his pants. "Yeah, I'm fine. Let me do a quick check just to make sure you're okay."

"Sure, but let me get my purse first." The woman leaned over and grabbed her purse, pulling out a compact and flipping it open. "Yikes! I look a fright!" She patted a few stray hairs, shaking her head. "I don't know what those people were thinking. I had the green light and they just came flying out of nowhere. I didn't have any time to stop." Snapping the compact shut, she stuffed it in her purse.

Roy nodded, trying not to let his irritation show. "Yes, Ma'am. Now, if you're ready, let's go over to the curb here and let me do an assessment." A few minutes later, satisfied that the woman was indeed just fine, Roy headed over to help his partner.

"What do you have, Johnny?"

Johnny looked up from taking the woman's blood pressure. "Hey Roy. This is Pam. She's not complaining of any pain from the accident, but she's having contractions. She's thirty-nine weeks pregnant and they were on their way to the hospital. I can hear good fetal heart tones, but the contractions are only couple of minutes apart." Wiping his forehead with the back of his arm, Johnny continued. "If you could take care of the husband, that would be great. He appears to have a broken right arm and a small gash to the left side of his forehead. I haven't had a chance to get vitals yet."

"Sure." Roy nodded and jogged around to the other side of the car and began to do an assessment.

Johnny picked up the biophone. "Rampart, this is Squad 51, how do you read?"

"We read you loud and clear, 51," replied a deep voice that could only belong to Dr. Brackett.

"Ah, Rampart, we have two victims of an MVA. Both victims were restrained. Spinal precautions have been taken. Victim one is a female, twenty-seven years of age. There are no apparent injuries, but be advised that the patient is 39 weeks pregnant and is having contractions approximately two minutes apart." Johnny looked up as Roy handed him a piece of paper with the husband's vitals. "Victim two is male, 28 years of age. He has an apparent fracture of the right radius and a small laceration over the left eye." Looking up, Johnny noted the bandage Roy had applied to the cut. "Bleeding has been controlled. Pulse is 82, respirations 16, BP 124/78. Victim two is not complaining of any other painB belly is soft and non-tender, eyes are equal and reactive."

"10-4 51. For victim two, splint the arm and transport as soon as possible. Start victim one on an IV with normal saline and transport immediately. Fifty-one, has her water broken?"

Johnny raised his eyebrows at Pam. She nodded. "About two hours ago, but the contractions didn't get this fast and strong until about thirty minutes ago."

"That's affirmative, Rampart. Victim reports her water broke approximately two hours ago. Contractions have been two minutes apart for thirty minutes or so. Fetal heart tones are strong with a rate of 122, but be advised that there is deceleration during contractions." Johnny pulled out the bag of normal saline and prepared to start the IV, the biophone tucked against his shoulder and chin.

Roy splinted the husband's arm and, with Chet's help, carefully removed the man from the vehicle, placing him on a stretcher.

"I can walk, I don't need a stretcher," the man complained. "What about my wife? She needs this, not me."

"Don't worry, sir. We have another ambulance standing by for your wife and my partner is taking good care of her. The sooner we get you to the hospital, the sooner you can get your arm looked after so you can get back to your wife's side."

The man sighed and nodded. "Okay. Tell her I'll see her just as soon as I can."

Chet helped Johnny as they gently extricated Pam from the car and placed her on a gurney. Holding the IV bag in his teeth, Johnny helped roll the gurney to the waiting ambulance. The attendants took over at the door and lifted the gurney in and latched it into place.

Johnny turned before entering the ambulance. "Hey, Chet, could you grab the OB box out of the squad for me?"

"Sure." The stocky firemen hurried to the squad as the Cap approached Johnny.

"How's it look?" Cap asked, nodding towards the reclining pregnant woman.

Johnny sighed. "I don't know, it seems like the contractions are awfully close and I don't like how the baby's heart is slowing down during them."

"You think she might deliver before arriving at Rampart?"

Rubbing the back of his neck, Johnny thought a second. "She just might, Cap." He hopped up into the ambulance.

Slightly out of breath, Kelly returned carrying the OB box. "Here you go, Johnny."

"Thanks, Chet."

"Chet, I want you to ride in with Gage. He might need an extra set of hands."

If the situation hadn't been so serious, Chet's expression would have been comical. His eyes became big as saucers as he squeaked out, "What? Me?"

"Yeah, you, Kelly. Now get in there."

Chet gulped, but complied with his captain's order.

"What do you want me to do, Gage?" Chet asked, his voice un-naturally high pitched, betraying his nervousness.

John allowed a small grin to crack his face. "For right now, just take this cloth and wipe down Pam's face to keep her comfortable." Johnny quickly opened a bottle of sterile water and poured some on a washcloth and handed it to Chet. He set the bottle aside for later. "How are you doing, Pam?" he asked, as he got out his scissors.

"O-okay, I guess. I'm tired."

"You just rest between contractions. I'm going to cut your slacks off here, but you let me do all the work, okay?" Quickly, Johnny stripped the slacks off and tossed them into a corner. "Chet, can you brace Pam while I slide this pad underneath her?"

Chet nodded, trying to look anywhere but down where Johnny was sliding the pad.

"Okay, that's done. You're going to feel me down here taking a peek to see what's going on. I'll be as gentle as possible, okay?" Trying not to show how nervous he was, Johnny noted the bulging at the apex of the woman's thighs. It was apparent that the baby was almost ready to crown. He gently pressed down on the lower abdomen, feeling to see how the baby was positioned. He felt the muscles tightening and glanced up to see Pam's face contort with pain and intensity. Quickly looking back down, he saw a brief flash of the top of the baby's head. "Pam! The baby's coming. It'll probably just be a few more contractions."

Pam nodded weakly, panting between contractions.

Johnny turned and laid a clean sheet onto the bench then hooked up the infant resuscitation bag and readied a suction catheter. His hands flew, knowing that he only had a few minutes to get everything set up. Next, he pulled out a couple of cord clamps, and a sterile pair of scissors from the OB kit. He bent down and pulled a clean blanket from under the cabinet. Thrusting it at Chet, he ordered, "Sit on this."

"Huh?" Looking confused, Chet hesitated before taking the folded blanket.

Impatiently, Johnny turned back towards the woman, pulling out a bottle of betadine and quickly swabbing the peritoneal area. "I want you to sit on it so that the blanket is warmed a bit. I don't have a heater here and you're the best thing available."

"Oh." Chet dutifully sat on the blanket.

Johnny leaned over and rapped on the window separating the driver from the back. "You need to pullover! This baby's coming right now!" The driver nodded and slowed to a stop along the side of the rode.

"Chet, I also need you to man the biophone as I'm going to have my hands full with the baby and the mom."

"No problem." Chet was somewhat relieved, being a little more familiar with this role.

Wiping his forehead on his shoulder, Johnny took a deep breath and then grabbed some hand disinfectant and wiped his hands thoroughly, then donned a pair of latex gloves. He saw Pam start to tense up, and knew that the time was here.

A low groan started in the back of Pam's throat and gradually built to a loud growl as every muscle strained. The baby's head emerged, but to John's horror, he could see the cord tightly wrapped around the baby's neck.

"Chet, get Rampart on the line. Tell them we have a nuchal cord." Johnny tried to see if he could slip the cord over the baby's head, but it was too tight. Next, he tried to get it past the shoulders, but again, it was too tight. Vaguely, he could hear Chet relaying the information, but all of his focus was on the small head with the tight purple cord around the neck.

"They said to try and slip it over the head or shoulders, Johnny."

"I tried that. It's too tight." Johnny frantically tried to get his fingers in between the cord and the baby's neck.

"They said, if there is any give in the cord, try and push the baby's head towards the mom's thigh and see if the baby can sort of somersault out."

Johnny remembered that maneuver from his training, but this cord had absolutely no give to it. "I can't do it, it's pulling too much." He could feel the sweat trickling down his face and stole a glance at Pam, seeing her collapsed in near exhaustion between contractions, seemingly unaware of the drama involving her baby.

"Rampart says, if you have to, clamp the cord in two places and cut it before delivery." Chet's voice wavered slightly, betraying his own anxiety.

"Okay." Johnny turned and grabbed the clamps and scissors and quickly clamped the cord and cut it just as another contractions started. "Last one, Pam. The head's out, now lets get the rest of this little one out."

With a final loud groan, Pam bore down and out slipped the shoulders and then the rest of the body followed. "It's a boy," Johnny announced, but was more concerned with the limpness and purple color of the baby than its gender. "Chet, come down here and help with the afterbirth, I've got to see to the baby." He turned to his prepared blankets and laid the baby down. He vigorously rubbed the baby with a towel and the sheets, and was rewarded with a weak cry. Grabbing the suction, he put the tube down the baby's mouth, sucking out secretions then stuck it in each nostril, making sure all air passages were clear. The baby cried a little louder, but was still a pale grayish blue, not the pink he'd hoped to see. He held the resuscitation mask over the baby's face, giving him some oxygen and assisted the baby with a few breaths. The baby responded with some louder cries.

"The blanket, Chet!" Without looking, Johnny held his hand out, rewarded a few seconds later with a slightly warmed blanket. He quickly lifted the baby and pulled the soiled sheet and towel out from under him and put the clean blanket in place and wrapped the baby, leaving only it's face visible. Loosely holding the mask over the baby's face, Johnny turned towards Pam and Chet. "He's breathing on his own but his color is a little off, so we need to get him in as fast as possible.

Chet looked up from wrapping the after birth in the pad, his color a little off too. Johnny had to grin a little. "You okay, Chet?" He rapped again on the driver's window, "Let's roll!"

"Yeah, but let's get out of here as soon as possible, okay?" He swallowed hard.

"Can I see him?" Pam asked, her face a mask of exhaustion and worry.

Johnny pulled the O2 tubing to give some slack and turned and laid the baby on Pam's chest. "This is probably the best place for him anyway." Johnny grinned. "Just keep that O2 blowing on him"

Johnny took back the biophone and relayed the information about the baby and the mother, happy that the rest of the short trip was uneventful. A few minutes later, they arrived at the hospital and were met in waiting area by an ob team and Dr. Brackett.

Mom and baby were whisked into a room with Johnny and Dr. Brackett not far behind. They were stopped by someone clearing their throat.

"Uh, Johnny?"

Johnny turned to find Chet standing there with the rolled up pad in his hands. "Oh yeah. Thanks, Chet. Why don't you go give that to the OB people? They'll need to examine it."

Only too happy to get rid of the bundle, Chet practically threw it at the nearest nurse.

Dr.Brackett and Johnny chuckled as the trio then entered the treatment room. Pam was being checked by an obstetrician. Johnny averted his gaze, suddenly feeling uncomfortable witnessing the exam even though he had already seen all there was to see. Dr.Brackett and Johnny approached a warming bed that had been brought to the ER for the baby. A pediatrician was checking the baby out.

"He's a lot better looking now," Johnny said, peering over the pediatrician's shoulder. "Still a bit pale though. His muscle tone was really poor at first too."

The ped nodded. "I heard about the cord. Good job getting the baby out so quickly. He probably just needs a bolus of fluids, but we'll take up to the NICU and keep a close eye on him for awhile."

Johnny felt Dr. Brackett clap him on the back. "Excellent job, John."

"Thanks, Dr.Brackett. I felt like a nervous wreck. I'm glad Chet was there to help me out." With one more pat on the shoulder, and a nod to Chet, Dr. Bracket went to check on the mother.

"Hey, all I did was hold the phone." Chet said, trying to edge in to get a peek at the baby too. "You didn't look nervous to me. You looked like an old hand at it."

Surprised at the praise, John stepped back and looked at Chet. "Really? Thanks, man."

"Yeah, well if you tell anyone else I said it, I'll deny it to my dying day."

"What'll you deny?"

Chet and Johnny turned to see Roy poking his head into the room. "Ah, nothing, Roy." Johnny shot Chet a look that said he'd keep the secret…for now. They headed towards the door. Roy stepped into the room to allow Dr.Brackett and the other doctors to exit.

"Well, how'd it go? I heard you had a little excitement on the way in." Roy smiled.

"Yeah, that we did, but it turned out okay. The little guy seems like he's gonna be fine." Johnny broke grin. "It was a piece of cake, Roy."

Chet snorted, but held his tongue. "Hey, how are we getting back to the station?"

Roy held up the handy talkie. "Cap just let me know that they're heading over with the squad and engine to pick us up." The men turned to leave, but Johnny turned back.

"I'll be right out,guys." He went over to Pam. "You got a beautiful little boy there, Ma'am."

Pam smiled. "Thanks to you. The doctor just told me how serious it could have been, but said he thinks the baby will be okay."

Johnny looked down and shuffled his feet. "I'm just glad it all turned out so well." Looking up, he patted her hand. "You and that baby take care now." He turned to leave.

"Wait. Johnny?"

Johnny turned back. "Yes?"

"We were going to name him James Michael."

Johnny smiled and nodded. "That's a nice name."

Pam shook her head. "We _were_ going to name him that. I think I've changed my mind and I'm sure my husband will agree. I'd like to name him John Michael."

Johnny was stunned and could feel his mouth hanging open but felt powerless to close it. Finally he snapped it shut, feeling a warmth suffuse him as his face cracked into a huge grin. "Wow! Really?"

Pam nodded.

"I…I don't know what to say," Johnny stuttered. He put a hand to his chest. "I'm honored." He backed away, motioning towards the door. "I, uh, I gotta go. The guys are waiting. Maybe I could peek in on the baby later if I get a chance?"

Still wearing a silly grin, Johnny exited the treatment room.

Roy looked at his partner's face and laughed. "What's with you?"

"Yeah, Gage. You look like you just won the lottery or something," Chet added.

Johnny turned to them. "She said she's gonna name the baby John Michael. She changed it from James to John. How do ya like that?"

"Way to go, Junior." Roy clapped him on the shoulder.

"What about me?" Chet whined. "Why not John Chester? Or Chester John or even Chester Michael?"

Roy looked at Johnny and both men laughed. "Come on. Let's get some coffee."

"Congrats, John! I hear you did a great job delivering that baby." Captain Stanley greeted the guys, holding out his hand.

Johnny shook the outstretched hand, grinning. "Thanks, Cap."

Roy ambled up behind Johnny. "Did he tell you the other good news?"

Cap raised his eyebrows. "And what would that be?"

Johnny turned a deep red. "Nothing, Cap."

"That's not what you were saying twenty minutes ago!" Roy laughed, delighted at his partner's discomfiture. "They named the baby John."

Cap broke out in a grin. "That's wonderful, John." Rubbing his hands together, Cap continued, "Now, what are you planning for lunch?"

John gulped, having completely forgotten it was his turn to cook. "Um, what about sandwiches? I can whip up some egg salad and maybe some soup to go with it."

The guys groaned but agreed since there didn't seem like there was much choice in the matter.

The men settled down to wait. Marco and Chet began a game of cribbage, Mike read the newspaper, Cap went to his office, and Roy called his wife to let her know about the baby Johnny had delivered.

Johnny gathered a dozen eggs and put them in a pot to boil, his mind still reliving the moments in the ambulance. Digging around in the cabinet, he found three cans of chicken noodle soup and half listening to Roy on the phone, opened the cans and dumped them in another pan. The TV droned in the background. When the eggs were done, Johnny ran cold water in the pan and began peeling them. Whistling softly between his teeth, he grabbed the mayonnaise and mustard out of the fridge, then rummaged through the spices until he found some dill. Soon the scent of eggs and dill filled the air as Johnny mixed the ingredients together. The soup added its own tantalizing aroma as it bubbled on the stove.

Suddenly, Chet grunted. "Jeez, can you believe those guys?"

Marco looked up from his hand of cards. "What guys?"

Chet tipped his head towards the TV. "Those nuts who took over that town. I heard about it on the radio this morning. They're trying to relive Wounded Knee or something." Chet made a face and moved his peg a few holes.

Johnny froze mid-stir, spoon poised in the soup as he heard Chet's comment, then turned to look at the TV. Abandoning the spoon in the pot, Johnny strode across the day room and turned the TV volume up. He squatted, watching the images flash across the screen of Indians wearing bandanas, holding shotguns and waving their fists.

"Aw, come on, Gage. You're not really interested in hearing that crap, are you?"

Johnny flashed Chet an irritated look. "What do you mean, 'crap'?"

"Those guys are nuts. What do they think they're going to accomplish, huh? Do they think that they're really going to prove anything by holding a town?" Chet shook his head in disgust.

Johnny stood up, crossed to the table and leaned over. "What I think is nuts, Kelly, is that we didn't do it sooner."

"Sooner?" Chet shoved away from the table and stood up. "What are you… one of those "Red Power" guys, Gage?"

Unblinking, Johnny slowly approached Chet, stopping only inches from the shorter man. "And what if I _am_?"

Not waiting for a reply, Johnny stalked back to the stove and briskly stirred the soup. He grabbed a loaf of bread and started slapping egg salad on slices, then smacking another slice of bread on top. Slap! Smack! Slap! Smack! The stack of sandwiches grew quickly. He could feel every one of his coworkers' eyes burning into his back, and heard Marco and Mike quietly urging Chet to have a seat and just relax.

The tone of Roy's voice changed too, as he quickly said good-bye to Joanne. Johnny's stomach twisted into a knot. The euphoric mood from delivering the baby had vanished. A desolate feeling of isolation took its place. A feeling he was all too familiar with, having lived with it throughout his childhood.

Cap entered the room and Johnny turned towards him, trying to mask the hurt and anger bubbling just under the surface. Cap must have sensed the change in atmosphere as he wore a look of confusion. Johnny remained quiet and just gathered up the bowl, knife and spices and cleared the counter of the mess. He deposited the bowl in the sink and hastily put the rest of the ingredients away, averting his eyes from meeting those of his shiftmates. "Lunch is ready. Soup's on the stove." No longer hungry, Johnny left the room.

Johnny leaned against the side of his Land Rover, arms crossed. Staring out over the busy street, he looked beyond the warehouses and factories scattered within his vision. What he saw instead was only in his mind's eye. He saw shacks with tin roofs, ancient, rusted cars and tattered laundry flapping in the breeze. Barefoot children played outside, throwing sticks for mangy, half-starved dogs to fetch. His nostrils flared at the remembered stench of outhouses, rotting garbage and unwashed bodies.

What he saw was a snapshot of his own childhood. A childhood filled with poverty and discrimination; where beating the odds meant graduating from eighth grade, getting a job—somewhere--and if you were really lucky, living to see your forty-fifth birthday.

With a lot of hard work and a little luck, he'd made it out of that hellhole. His dad had been killed in Korea when Johnny had been a toddler and his mom, with no other resources, had moved back to the reservation. It wasn't easy being half-white in an environment where white people were regarded with fear, mistrust and anger.

At school, it had been hard being half-Indian when Indians were looked down upon as dirty, stupid drunks. He remembered a couple of girls in high school who had gotten pregnant and whose children were taken from them with flimsy excuses of neglect.

Another girl, a friend, had come to Johnny crying uncontrollably about how her pregnancy had been terminated by the white doctor, with the reason given that the baby had died in the womb. That same girl was told that there had been problems with the termination and that she would never be able to have children.

Johnny felt that the only problem the doctor had noticed had been that the girl was Indian. The injustice of it all still burned deep within him and if the people at Wounded Knee could make a difference, then more power to them.

Johnny stiffened when he heard the crunch of shoes on the pavement.

"Johnny?" Roy came around the side of the Rover and leaned against his own low-slung sports car, mirroring Johnny's pose. "You gonna come in and eat? We saved a couple of sandwiches for you."

Johnny ignored the question and continued looking out over the highway. Finally, he shifted his gaze to Roy's direction. "Chet doesn't have a clue."

Roy pushed off the car and turned to lean next to Johnny. "Does he ever?"

Johnny was quiet for a long moment then said, "Did I ever tell you about Alcatraz?"

"Ah, no. I don't recall you ever mentioning that, Johnny."

"Well, I had just graduated from the Fire Academy, but wasn't due to start over 10's for about three weeks. So, I hitch-hiked up the coast and spent about a week there as part of the occupation."

Roy let out a deep sigh. "Why'd you do that?"

Johnny pushed off the Rover and slowly walked out to the driveway; hands buried his pockets. Maybe he should just keep his mouth shut. He'd learned long ago to keep his deepest emotions buried under a façade of goofiness and bluster. But this was Roy and that made it different. Roy was one of the few people he allowed to see the real John Gage. "I felt like I had to, Roy. I had to do something that could help change things, ya know?" He turned to look at Roy and was disappointed to see confusion on his partner's face.

"Change what things?"

Johnny rested his hands on hips and shook his head in disgust. "You really have no idea what life on a reservation is like, do you? You grew up in your Ozzy and Harriet life, coming home after school to milk and cookies and a spotless three bedroom, two bath home with Fido in the perfect backyard. I bet you never gave a thought to those whose lives were a little bit different!"

Roy stood in silence for a moment, a stunned look on his face, then that look twisted into anger. "And how would I know, Johnny? It's not like _you_ ever told me! In fact, I know next to nothing about you! You have an aunt around here, but that's about all I know, or all any of the guys know. What? Do you think we're mind readers? You talk all the time, but you never _say_ anything!"

Johnny sighed, his anger melting away. Roy was right. It wasn't like he mentioned his background to anyone. He tried to tell himself that it wasn't because he was ashamed of it, because he wasn't, but maybe he feared seeing the same disgust in his coworkers' eyes that he'd grown-up seeing in his teachers' eyes. "Sorry, Roy. I guess I shouldn't have bitten your head off." He ducked his head and scuffed his toe at a small pebble, sending it skittering under Roy's car.

Roy relaxed, shaking his head. "Aw, forget it. I had it coming. But, it's true that none of us know much about you beyond what we've seen while you've been at 51. You know all about me and JoAnne, and Chet and Marco's big families. Even Cap talks about his dad and how he had been a fireman before him. The only one more mysterious than you is Mike, but at least we know he's quiet about everything. You…you tell us all about your dates…the good, the bad and the stuff we'd rather _not_ know." Roy smiled to take the sting out of the words. "But, you're right. I _don't_ know what it was like for you growing up on a reservation. And I won't know unless you _tell_ me."

He took few steps closer to Johnny, stopping next to him as Johnny turned towards the firehouse. Hanging onto Johnny's shoulder, pulling him back just a bit, Roy continued, "Just give us a chance, Johnny."

Johnny shrugged. "I'm starving. How many of those sandwiches did you save anyway?"

Roy chuckled and gave him a slap on the shoulder. "Don't worry, Junior. There's enough. Chet even saved you a bowl of soup."

Johnny stopped and turned to Roy in surprise. "He did?"

Roy nodded, his eyes radiating warmth and humor. "Yeah, he even smacked Marco on the hand with a spoon when Marco tried to get a second helping."

"No kidding? Wow." Wonder and confusion warred with his earlier anger. Who would have guessed that Chet would look out for him? Johnny smiled. "I guess I'll look at the soup as a peace offering. A…a sort of peace pipe."

"Yeah, well, you better hurry, because I don't know how long Chet can fend off several hungry firefighters with only a spoon for a weapon."

The sudden growling of Johnny's stomach spurred him to action and he shot up the driveway and raced through the garage. Feet slipping on the linoleum, Johnny skidded into the kitchen just in time to snatch a bowl out of Marco's hands.


End file.
